Nec Parcit
by SlytherinsFlower317
Summary: What if, instead of Cedric, the Goblet of Fire had picked someone else? A hated Slytherin is now competing as one of the Hogwarts champions. How will this affect the outcome of GoF and Harry's perceptions of Slytherins? Based on the Tumblr post, this story will explore what would happen if Hogwarts was forced into more unity during the second wizarding war.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** **This is a GoF AU so everything up to Goblet of Fire is unchanged. The idea for this AU isn't my own but one that I saw on Tumblr and needed to make happen so much that I started writing it. If you haven't seen the really long and beautiful post that started all this, I cannot recommend enough that you google "cassius warrington tumblr" and click on the first link because you won't regret a second you spend reading it. I'm going to do my best to do that post justice and write it quickly but no promises because my muse is a fickle and sadistic beast. So please don't bring out the pitchforks if it takes a while because this is a monster of a fic and is looking to be the longest story I've written. Wish me luck!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I double checked in the mirror but I'm definitely not Rowling so I can't claim to own Harry Potter. As stated above, the original idea for the AU isn't mine either. The only thing that is mine is my specific version of this AU and Cassius himself. Not my toys or my sandbox, just my execution!**

Cassius realized afterwards that he had been focusing so hard on hiding the slight trembling from his hands that he hadn't even had time to second-guess entering the Triwizard Tournament until after it was already done. He couldn't decide if it was a good or bad thing and it didn't really matter in the long run anyway. The only thing that could combat his desire to play it safe was the one desire so important and almost treasonous in his house that he could never dare speak it aloud: he wanted to be part of the Sacred 28. That's not to say he wasn't proud of his heritage. The Warrington's were as proud a Pureblood family as any other, but there was a wealth of power in being on that list that just couldn't be compensated for in any other way in society. And power was what he needed.

He was a Slytherin in his 6th year at Hogwarts and, in Slytherin house, power is the only real coin worth having. You would think that as a 6th year Quidditch player he'd be near the top of the pyramid in his house (only under the 7th years of course, though they were so busy with NEWTs that it hardly counted). Unfortunately, while that may be true in other houses, Slytherin operated differently. This was, in large part, due to the appearance of the "Prince" of Slytherin four years ago. Draco Malfoy was the most obnoxious student Cassius had ever had the misfortune of dealing with because he could never just tell the prat to shut up! The kid was the pinnacle of pureblood society and Cassius, well Cassius wasn't even *on* the Sacred 28. Unfortunately, that meant a certain level of deference had to be paid, no matter how much of a brat Malfoy was. Four years of this had begun to wear on Cassius' patience and he was tired enough of it that even risking his neck in this tournament was worth a chance to gain enough power to change how people in his house, especially Malfoy, treated him.

Renewed in his decision, he put on his best air of confidence as he strode away from the Goblet of Fire. It was early enough that he could thankfully avoid most of the crowd, but it was never safe to let your guard down. At Hogwarts, someone was always around, and it wasn't good form to let them say that they'd seen him looking anything less than smugly assured that it would be *his* name coming out of that goblet. Perception is everything and, if he was confident enough, it would dissuade the weaker students from entering at all and less competition was always a good thing. Along that same thought, he headed off to the Great Hall for breakfast, despite the fact he wasn't sure his stomach could handle anything right now. A poised and collected appearance was an armor he was more than familiar with and it slid into place with little effort between one breath and the next as usual.

It was easy to spot exactly when everyone heard that he'd placed his name in the goblet. He could feel the ugly and disbelieving looks turning his way as he calmly ate his breakfast. It wasn't anything new to him by now; after six years of receiving those looks anytime he did anything of particular note, mostly Quidditch, he was basically immune to all manner of scathing glares. Of course, being Slytherin, most didn't care to keep their gossip quiet enough to go unheard by Cassius, even from several tables away. Indeed, many of the Gryffindors would purposely speak just loudly enough for him to hear them and briefly meet his eye before going back to their discussion. He knew they would dismiss him as having no chance at being selected at the tournament as soon as "slytherin" came into play.

Luckily, the champion wasn't picked by popularity or he would have known better than to enter at all. The goblet would pick him based on his power and skills alone and the school would just have to cope. Oh of course the Gryffindors would accuse him of cheating because *obviously* a slytherin couldn't be picked as the champion without cheating being involved. The Hufflepuffs would fret about him being "mean" and giving the school a bad reputation. The Ravenclaws would be less interested in the whole tournament but would secretly think that one of their own could do every task better than him no matter what he did. Well who needed the support of those lesser houses?

Deciding he'd eaten enough to prove his relaxed mental state, Cassius resolved to prepare for his morning classes. After all, when he was chosen as champion he would need these lessons to improve his repertoire for the tasks ahead. Slytherins, and Warringtons in particular, know that failure is not an option, especially in a competition known for its risks. He would be ready to fight for not only his survival, but for the power that would await him as Triwizard Champion.


	2. Chapter 2

While Cassius had fully expected the reactions he got from the other houses in response to his putting his name in the goblet, he didn't take fully into count the reactions from the rest of his house and how they'd affect him. The idea that he'd forgotten to prepare for that irked him; he didn't like leaving out variables, especially such bothersome ones. Publically, he obviously had the full support of his house, as was expected, but within the walls of the common room Cassius was forced to again realize just why this tournament was so important for him.

"I can't *believe* that Warrington is the only Slytherin to enter the tournament so far! He's just lucky that I'm not old enough to enter and show the school what a *real* pureblood can do," Draco announced to his friends smugly. "I mean, he'd be better than a half-blood or, Merlin forbid, some stupid jumped up mudblood, but it's not like he's as good as some of us. I mean, everyone knows Cicero Warrington was rumored to have had a "relationship" with a mudblood that kept them off the sacred twenty-eight. Who even knows if he is *actually* pure?!"

Cassius clenched his fists and bit his tongue hard enough that he could taste blood in an attempt to keep from pummeling that prat's face in for that slight. How *dare* he talk about matters he knew nothing about! To cast doubt on his family's purity in the middle of the common room like this was beyond all justification. Scion of an Ancient and Noble House or not, this kid was asking for trouble!

Just as Cassius began to think his temper would in fact get the better of his good sense, he felt someone's shoulder brush his and realized his best friend Adrian had joined him. Adrian gave Cassius a look that clearly communicated, "I understand why you're angry but rein it in. This isn't the time or place." The fuming teen knew his friend was right, so he gritted his teeth and swallowed down the anger for a later, anonymous, vengeance. It wouldn't do to go stomping up to the Malfoy scion and resorting to lowly Gryffindor tactics to handle the situation. He reminded himself that there was plenty of time and opportunity to strike back at the blonde boy when there were no lasting consequences to handle.

"Careful Draco," Adrian drawled, "If Montague hears you're starting fights within the team, I'm sure he'll realize that the time spent thinking up your insults could be better put toward practicing so you can *finally* beat Potter to the snitch next year. What a pity if all your free periods for the year had to be spent training."

"My father-"

"Would be overjoyed to finally have you succeed wherein all other seekers, including yourself, have repeatedly failed? I agree! And if that were to come at the "expense" of increasing your skill, then I'm sure he would thank our Captain for the foresight of encouraging you to reach your full potential. After all, he understands that some things require...sacrifices," Adrian finished with a condescending smirk.

Malfoy's face became flushed, even as he attempted to keep up an unaffected facade. Cassius had to admit that Adrian definitely had a skill for hitting someone where it hurt the most but in such a way that they also knew they couldn't punish him for it. Malfoy would be upset and angry but would also know that getting vengeance would only be possible with his father's backing. For all Draco's posturing, it was well understood that the only real threat he had was his father, especially to older and stronger students like Cassius and Adrian. Except that Adrian had masterfully diffused the situation by making it so that the only way Draco could seek vengeance was to remind his father that he had lost every snitch so far to Potter, even with a superior broom. Everyone knew Lucius must be irate to have his son so consistently shown up by Dumbledore's pet. There was no way Draco would risk reminding his father of that, especially with Quidditch being cancelled this year which meant that Draco had a chance to escape the Malfoy patriarch's disapproval.

Cassius knew the brat realized what Adrian had done when he simply clenched his jaw before storming off, his little posse following him out of the common room quickly after. Cassius smirked at his best friend in acknowledgement of the favor he'd done him and Adrian playfully shoved his shoulder in easy acceptance of Cassius' unspoken thanks. Cassius sometimes found it astonishing how easily he and Adrian had learned to convey so much with simple looks, but in a house so fraught with people who had been trained from birth to find and use information as leverage, as they themselves had, you learned to hold your silence quickly. No conversation worth having could happen in the common room or in their dorms, so the two friends headed out to walk by the lake, knowing the sounds of the squid playing in the water would help drown them out.

As they navigated the dungeon pathways, they ran into several other slytherins, with varying levels of cordiality. Terence Higgs congratulated Cassius and told him he couldn't wait to see how he handled himself in the tournament, but Millicent Bulstrode made a point to ask Cassius if anyone "fitting" had put forth their name yet with a saccharine smile while her little friends giggled in the background. It wasn't much better once they reached the entrance hall though, as members of the other houses were milling about on their break.

Whispers followed the duo as they made their way outside and they received anything from terrified looks from first years (who acted as though any sudden movement would cause the two boys to curse them) to snide remarks. Surprisingly, the least issues came from the visiting schools as several other hopeful champions from the foreign schools sought out Cassius to wish him luck, which he returned before continuing on his way with Adrian. The Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students had no more issue with Slytherin than any of the other houses (since they had no stake in the house cup or prejudice to influence them). In fact, many of them preferred the company of Slytherins as they were more formal by nature and thus more familiar to the foreigners. It seemed, Cassius reflected idly, good manners were a universal language.

They had almost reached their destination when Cassius heard a group of boys he recognized as Gryffindors drawing closer. Cassius immediately went on guard, tightening his grip on his wand in preparation. As they got closer, he recognized they were younger lions in their fourth year. He knew they were fourth years because one of them was rather infamous, even in the snake den, for accidentally blowing things up on a regular basis. He was certain they had been noticed when the Irish boy elbowed the person next to him and the entire group stopped for a moment. Cassius and Adrian continued walking, not acknowledging them but always extremely watchful. They made it a few feet passed the group when Cassius felt the crackling of a spell being cast. Reflexively, he cast a protego to cover himself and Adrian while Adrian went on the offensive and cast a mild stinging hex toward the group. Continuing on their way, both boys rolled their eyes at the idea that the fourth years thought they could land anything on two Slytherin sixth years.

Once they reached the boulders on the water's edge of the lake, Cassius finally began to relax. "So, being a prospective champion everything you dreamed it would be yet?" Well… at least until that. Adrian had made his opinions on this *very* well known. As Cassius' best friend Adrian was already well-aware as to why Cassius was so set on competing. In fact, they both had that same secret yearning to belong in the upper echelons of pureblood society and increase the stature of their family name until it surpassed even the Malfoy or Black lineages.

The difference was in their methods. Adrian was satisfied to get there the traditional way. He would find a way to secure a bride from within the twenty-eight and use that to put his foot in the door. From there he would enact a plan spanning generations until his family was just as revered, though long after his death and probably after that of his own future child. Adrian had an eye, and patience, for the long plans. This was markedly different from his best friend's attitude.

Cassius was far less patient and more ambitious than his counterpart. He wasn't content with plans that would benefit his grandson or great-grandson, and, even then, that's only if some idiot didn't muck it up between now and then! He wanted results within years, not generations. No relying on the maiden name of his future bride to make people notice him. Cassius wanted to create a name for himself, wanted to be "Cassius the Great" instead of "Cassius, one of the Great Warrington Family". He would be remembered for making his family great and not just being a part of it. As such, he was far more willing to take these bigger, though still calculated, risks.

Adrian thought that willingness made him reckless, but Cassius did not agree in the slightest. He knew that he wasn't some Gryffindor to leap without thinking. He would analyze every possibility to get the best chance of success and obviously any plan that had a low probability was immediately scrapped. He wasn't suicidal and he fully planned on living to enjoy the fruits of his labors, thank you very much.

No matter how much Cassius tried to argue with Adrian about how much research he'd done before entering the tournament, Adrian remained convinced that it was tantamount to suicide. Nevermind that Cassius had spent hours and hours running all manner of arithmancy equations, making sure to double and triple check all of the possible variables, or that his risk vs benefit table was vastly in favor of entering the tournament! Adrian just refused to be appeased, and Cassius was sure that the "minor" detail of him already having entered (and essentially being locked into a binding magical agreement that could cost him his life or even his magic) would not deter his ire.

"Come on, Cas! You had to have known that those pompous peacocks wouldn't just accept you as a potential champion! What about the other houses; were you expecting *them* to cheer on a Slytherin?! You're risking your life in this mad quest for their approval and ignoring all common sense!" Adrian rebuked.

"Of course I didn't expect any different from them! I'm not some ickle firstie wearing rose-colored glasses Ade! I knew what I was getting into and I would expect you to realize that I don't need it from you too," Cassius snapped back.

Adrian ran his hand down his face in defeat. "I know Cas, but I just find it a *little* difficult to get over the whole "death tournament run by incompetent fools" part. There's no need to go risking your life on the slim chance that they'll realize you're worthy of joining them, and that's only if you win! Who knows what you'll be up against! Have you actually seen how that man runs this school?! Or spent more than 5 minutes in the company of our "esteemed" minister?! These are the people you're trusting to run a competition that killed people when it was run *well*!"

Cassius had to admit that, when phrased that way, he could see why Adrian was concerned. Still, he was sure of his preparations and in his own skills. "How many of those deaths you're so concerned about were Slytherin though? Bloody Gryffindors skewing the statistics I'm sure," he chuckled. Adrian rolled his eyes but couldn't stop his lips from quirking up ever so slightly. Heartened, Cassius pressed his advantage. "Besides, between the two of us I'm sure we can find out the tasks ahead of time when I'm chosen and then it'll be a breeze!"

Adrian didn't exactly look convinced but rather more like he was torn between supporting his friend and wanting to shake some sense into him. "Fine, have it your way. I want to make it clear that I'm only helping you because you won't last a minute in this tournament without me though," he joked.

"I'll take it," Cas laughed.

"But! That's only *if* you survive the *real* first task."

"...what's that?" Cassius inquired.

"Telling Étiennette," he replied, laughing when Cas blanched.

 **AN: Well there's chapter two done and chapter three is already underway. Don't worry, the joy that is Étiennette will be introduced next chapter as well as the choosing of the champions! I know you're all eager to get to the fun stuff, but enjoy the happy moments while they last guys, trust me *evil laughter* I mean… uh.. Yay friendship? I'd love to hear what you think of the guys so far so drop me a review if you can and I'll be happy to answer any questions you might have (or you know, torture you with possible spoilers, who knows)!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Oh just kill me now Ade!" Cassius begged his laughing friend.

"Not happening, my friend. Honestly, I'd have paid good money to see her do this anyway! Adding into that the fact that you *actually* deserve it… Well, the only question becomes how much I should charge for the tickets to what is sure to be some quality entertainment," Adrian snickered.

Cassius glared at him, though the strength of it was rather weakened by how pale his face was. "Let's just get back to the castle because if she finds out about this from anyone else... You know though, maybe I should just wait here. If she finds out from someone else but can't find me right away, theoretically at least, she'd have a chance to calm down and realize I'm right to do this and maybe I can avoid being cursed…," Cassius mused.

"Care to wager on that? Say, 10 galleons?" Adrian smirked.

"You know what, I'll take that bet. After all, I'm going to be the Triwizard champion before the year is out! I'm sure I can manage to avoid one irate girl long enough for her to cool down!" Cassius decreed.

Adrian's smirk only grew as Cassius spoke. Cassius wasn't sure why Adrian was doing that, but quickly realized it probably didn't bode well for him, or his wallet. Alas, he wasn't quite fast enough because the petrificus totalus hit him from behind before he could question the evil twinkle in his best friend's eyes. As he fell forward into the dirt, Cassius had a sinking feeling that he knew *exactly* what Adrian was feeling so smug about.

This knowledge and dread solidified into a knot that settled firmly in his stomach, oddly enough in almost exactly the same spot as where someone with a troublingly small foot was now standing. 'Some best friend!,' he thought to himself as Adrian began to laugh at Cassius' troubles (which he was very certain had only just begun).

"Good day, Adrian. My thanks for not alerting him to my presence. Please excuse me while I remind my boyfriend why it is important to keep me informed of decisions, especially important and possibly **life-threatening ones** ," at which point her heel ground forcibly into his spine for emphasis, "as well as why trying to run away from just punishment is never an intelligent plan," Étiennette said sweetly.

"Worry not, ma crevette _(my shrimp, an endearment for a short friend)_ , of course your boyfriend is yours alone to punish for such severe infractions. I would not *dream* of interfering," Adrian crowed happily as Cassius imagined increasingly elaborate death plots for his so-called best friend and groveling speeches to his enraged girlfriend.

Cassius felt the tingle of wards encompassing the area as Étiennette giggled above him. The knot in his stomach tightened as he realized his hope that Étiennette would take it easy on him since they were in public vanished. The foot on his spine lifted and he found himself being levitated and stuck to the side of a larger boulder. He could finally see but almost wished he couldn't because Étiennette's blue eyes were cold as ice and the smile on her face had an edge that could cut dragon hide. She was too well trained to have turned red with rage or to let her power become uncontrolled enough to spark off of her, but the cold fury was palpable and all the more terrifying for her control.

She walked toward him and calmly, almost lovingly, stroked the tip of her wand down his cheek and a cold sweat overtook him. "Not to worry mon cher _(my dear)_ , I would never leave marks where someone could see when you have such an important event to participate in this evening. Normally, I would prefer to avoid anything this unpleasant so close to such a spectacle, but I really cannot allow you to think that you can hide such things from me. Now, be a dear and hold still or I might miss and hit something important."

* * *

"Well Cas, I think it's safe to say you may just be the only champion to warrant a trip to the hospital wing before the insane death tournament even starts!" Adrian teased as they waited for Madam Pomfrey to return.

"Shut up Ade! Honestly I'm surprised she went as easy on me as she did. Étiennette has even less patience for my "Gryffindor antics" than you do. Normally she's only that scary to someone who picks on one of our firsties, I must have really freaked her out..," Cassius mused worriedly.

"Well I **wonder** why she'd be freaked out? You only entered a binding magical contract that could strip you of your magic or kill you if you attempt to back out of an insane death tournament run by the biggest and most incompetent idiots in the entire wizarding world?!" Adrian snarked back.

"I get it already, jeez just lay off a bit. I think I've sufficiently paid for my crimes by now and there's no getting out of it so let's just move on," he said tiredly.

The two boys sat in a heavy silence until the Matron burst back into the room carrying Cassius' potion. "Here you are, Mr. Warrington. Once you've taken the pain potion you're free to go. Do be more careful climbing up those boulders next time though or you'll end up with much worse than just a few bruises."

"You're lucky Étiennette healed most of that or your little boulder excuse wouldn't have worked so well. Honestly, I'd have let you suffer. Though, considering how long it took Madam Pomfrey to bring you a mild pain potion for your bruises, maybe she just didn't want to risk you being late to the ceremony." Adrian laughed as he patted Cassius on the back, just happening to catch one of the bruises Étiennette had left unhealed to make a point.

Cassius knew she hadn't healed him for appearances' sake like she'd claimed (though he was sure it had factored in a little) but because she didn't like to see people she cared about in pain. The fact she'd done more than shoot a mild stinging hex at him just showed that Cassius had made her go practically out of her mind with worry. Étiennette was more level headed than even Adrian normally, but she was a major worrier when it came to her loved ones' health. Guilt weighed on him heavily as he realized what he'd put them both through, but he also knew that there was little he could do about it now. The best he could do was to be the champion and show them just how under control he had everything. Once he won, they wouldn't have to worry anymore and things would be exactly the way they should.

Cassius and Adrian strode into the Great Hall and spotted Étiennette holding seats for them. Cas noted that Étiennette had put a tub of bruise paste sitting on his plate and smiled because he knew Étiennette could never stay mad at him for too long, even for this apparently. He reached over and took her hand and waited until she met his eyes before looking pointedly at the tub and kissing her hand gently in thanks. The troubled look in her eyes melted away in a wash of loving affection. Still holding her hand, he used it to pull her into a warm embrace as he whispered apologies in her ear.

Adrian cleared his throat to remind the couple that the hall was quickly filling with students ready for dinner. Cassius reluctantly pulled away with a quick kiss to her forehead and tucked the bruise paste into his pocket for later. The feast appeared in front of them and Cassius began to prepare a plate full of Étiennette's favorite dishes as she did the same for him. They smiled at each other as they switched plates and pointedly ignored Adrian's groaning about them making him sick with an ease born of plentiful practice.

The trio laughed and talked while they ate their dinner, happily pretending that none of them noticed the strain as they kept glancing at the head table where the goblet of fire stood. Cassius tried to ignore how his stomach was churning and how increasingly worried Étiennette and Adrian looked under their happy facades. He couldn't decide if the crackling of the goblet was making him feel excited or terrified. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to eat when Adrians comments about insane death tournaments and the officials' incompetency were ringing in his ears.

The feast seemed to fly by and Cassius' heart raced faster as the time to find out if he'd be competing or not approached. He was alternating rapidly between hoping he was picked and wishing that he'd never entered his name at all. Self preservation and ambition warred fiercely and drowned out Dumbledore's speech as the goblet's flames began to turn red. Étiennette gripped his hand tightly and glared at the goblet as if she could stop it from spitting out his name with her force of will alone. Cassius could feel her hand shaking in his and gently squeezed back in an attempt to give her a measure of comfort. Beside him Adrian's posture was stiffer than usual and his indifferent expression contrasted strongly with the tension pouring off of him in waves.

All three held their breath as first Viktor Krum's name was called and then Fleur Delacour's. The trio paid them little attention aside from mentally making a note to find their weaknesses at the earliest possibility in case Cassius had to compete against them. As the goblet turned red again Cassius closed his eyes and took a second to prepare himself for either outcome and make sure his face was as perfectly impassive as it needed to be. The piece of parchment slowly floated down into Dumbledore's outstretched hand and the whole of Hogwarts held their breath in anticipation of knowing their champion.

"And the Hogwarts champion is… Cassius Warrington!"

There was silence in the Great Hall and a collective intake of breath as everyone realized that a Slytherin would be representing Hogwarts. Cassius could hardly believe it himself! For all his confidence and posturing, Cassius didn't really expect that a slytherin would achieve such an honor while Dumbledore was in charge. 'I guess we know for sure the goblet is completely impartial now,' he thought to himself as he rose to his feet as steadily as he could manage. As he made his way toward the front of the hall and the room where the other champions awaited, Cassius saw the brief flicker of distaste in Dumbledore's eyes as he nodded before motioning Cassius towards the door.

As he walked, the shock seemed to wear off the room and the whispers began as the Hogwarts students fought to voice their opinions on a Slytherin champion first. The expected distaste rolled through the hall, but Cassius heard none of it. Instead, all he could hear was the thunderous cheering of his house. In that instant, none of them cared that he was a "lesser" pureblood or thought him beneath their notice. The cheers were for him and only him, not just the "team" like in Quidditch or the house as a whole when they won the House Cup. Their cheers made it hit home that *he* was the champion, chosen to represent the entire school and gain international recognition when he won, and he *would* win. He'd win for this feeling, this moment of complete acceptance and adoration. The wizarding world would remember his name forever and it all began in this moment.

 **AN: Sorry this one took a bit longer than I expected to get done, but there was a lot of work to get straight with introducing a new original character. Please put away the torches and pitchforks! I hope you all like this one enough that it was worth a bit of a wait. Maybe I'm spoiling you guys since a "wait" is technically still under a week but I'm just so excited to get this out. Anyway, what do you all think of Étiennette so far? Do you have a favorite character? I want to hear it all so drop a review or shoot me a message; who knows, maybe you will get some spoilers out of it ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Normally I leave this to the end, but I just want to apologize for my muse who wholeheartedly abandoned me for a while there. I'm fairly sure she was scared off by the holiday nonsense… I should definitely have gone with her! But she appears recovered enough to be badgering me again so let's see what she planned out on her vacation. As far as this chapter goes, I know some of you were expecting me to talk about Harry being selected, but I think the book covered that pretty well and I'd just be taking too many direct quotes to seem worth it, and I want to highlight that this story isn't about Harry...yet. This part is all Cassius so I hope this answers any questions you have about that. If not, you know how to get answers ;)**

 **Also I wanted to give a shout out to SakuraDragomir and CosmicLunaAngel whose notifications reminded me that I needed to sit down and focus on this again!**

"POTTER?! HARRY BLEEDING POTTER?! How is it that Dumbledore's Gryffindor **pet** can be allowed to compete!?" Draco Malfoy spat. This same rant had been repeated nearly constantly for the full week since Harry Potter's name had been selected by the Goblet of Fire to compete as the second Hogwarts champion. Cassius was ready to use a permanent sticking charm on the boy's lips just to shut him up by this point. He was already at his breaking point when Draco noticed him in the common room and decided to give him the last shove over the line.

"This is all **your** fault! If we had an actual, decent champion then the Goblet wouldn't have picked Potter! You and your inferior blood have made a mockery of our house and our school! If we ever needed proof you aren't actually as pure as you claim, it's here before us," raved the younger boy.

Cassius remained still as a statue, face set into haughty disdain. Only those who knew him well would notice the twitching of his wand hand and the slight furrow in his brow that indicated that he was gathering his concentration for a nonverbal attack. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on who you asked, Étiennette was standing beside Cassius and got to the blonde boy first, not that he was smart enough to notice the subtle curse.

Cassius wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or be upset that Étiennette was cutting in on his revenge. Between her and Adrian he'd never have a chance to hex the prat silly at this rate, which was immensely frustrating. Cas knew that they were trying to protect him from himself with their interference as he was, admittedly, angry enough not to be *quite* as circumspect as he ought to be. Still, the idea of not getting a chance to lay a wand on the annoying brat was frustrating to no end. Still, he knew that if anyone was likely to make Malfoy suffer as much as Cas, it would be Étiennette. She never did take well to people upsetting those she claimed as her own.

Cas couldn't be sure just by looking at Malfoy as to what Étiennette had done (the girl would never be that obvious about her spells) but it was sure to be horrid and wildly entertaining. He made a note to ask her about it later so he would be prepared not to laugh in Draco's face when her spell kicked in. It would also give him time to lay the foundation for some rumored slight the young boy had perpetrated against the Weasley twins so that the revenge would naturally fall on them and not Cassius or anyone tied to him.

Taking a breath, Cassius responded, "Why so jealous Draco? Is it because you weren't picked? Obviously you must have entered yourself if a half blood Gryffindor like Potter was able to find a way around the age line. But then… if you had, *surely* your superior blood would have ensured your success. So I must ask- is it that the boy is smarter than you or that the blood of both myself and Potter is worth more than yours?" With that he offered Étiennette his arm and together they quit the room at a leisurely pace, the picture of unaffected superiority.

They journeyed up to the astronomy tower together where Cassius conjured a soft blanket before he cast the warming and cushioning charms to ensure their total comfort. While he took care of their comfort, Étiennette worked to layer wards and spells to subtly turn away any would-be spies or wayward students, as well as some to warn the couple if some determined soul would attempt to disturb them. When she finished, Cas offered his hand and led her to sit on the blanket he'd positioned so they had a marvelous view of the black lake. He didn't relinquish her hand as he sat next to her, keeping his gaze solely centered on the water.

"Jarsdel's father has been berating him for his lackluster performance in Ancient Runes recently. He's spent all his pocket money supporting his sweets habit. Didn't you get an O on that OWL Cas?" Étiennette idly inquired.

"Hmm, I did. Perhaps someone should take pity on the boy. His own OWLs are coming up quite soon. It'd be a shame for him to score poorly considering how that might reflect upon his father's capability at his job," Cassius drawled.

Étiennette cocked her head to the side, still not facing her boyfriend. "It's to be expected though really. If the best translator in the Department of International Cooperation can't even teach his son enough about runic languages to pass his OWLs, it would only be natural for his competency to be called into question. And with the ministry trying so hard to show off how well they're handling hosting international events like this tournament…"

Cassius' eyes darted to the side to catch a glimpse of Étiennette's expression. Seeing her lips starting to twitch, he lost control of his own facade, causing them both to collapse into peals of laughter. For several minutes the only sound to fill the tower was that of completely carefree laughter, a rarity they relished the chance to indulge in. Cassius even began making silly faces in between gasped breaths until completely unladylike snorts began to pepper Étiennette's laughter.

"So glad to see we're taking the risk to Cas' life so lightheartedly," Adrian interrupted angrily. "I mean it's not like the man isn't going to face incredibly dangerous and unknown stunts in a *very* short amount of time. Am I the only one here who remembers that?!"

"Well Adrian, I don't recall you being invited so if it's such an issue, you could always leave," Cas muttered.

"If you didn't want me here, you wouldn't use wards I know how to break. Besides, like you could survive this thing without me here," he smirked.

"Oh shut up, would you both? We already have the start of a plan Adrian. Honestly, as if I wouldn't take this seriously. Cas may be acting like a Gryff with regards his life, but you should know that I won't. Cassius will tutor Jarsdel in exchange for inside information on the upcoming task. With all these foreigners involved in the tournament it's a sure thing that someone will need a translator. Once we have what we need then we can begin our preparations for how he'll handle the task. In the meantime, we need to work on the public perception while we still have the chance."

"What do you think I've been doing all this time? I've been working the Hogwarts gossip line. Durmstrang as a whole is pretty unhappy with Hogwarts having two champions, but seeing as Potter is underage aren't really concerned. Of course their main support falls firmly behind their own champion, but of the competitors they like you most. It helps they've been taking meals with and interacting with us so much; make sure to keep that up and play nice with Krum publicly. Beauxbatons is inclined toward Krum as their secondary choice, mostly due to his reputation. You are a relative unknown to them so we need to find a way for you to impress them with your abilities both before and during the first task. Hogwarts is where things become murkier. The Slytherins, naturally, will offer their full public support despite the dissent behind closed doors. The Ravenclaws see you logically as the better choice and only really care about Potter insofar as finding out how he crossed the Age Line. Hufflepuff doesn't like the cheating he did by entering, irked their sense of fairness I supposed. However, some are wary of supporting a Slytherin with the way our reputation has gone in the last few decades. Most are undecided, though leaning your way, so we need to work them over. I'd recommend you help some lost first years, stop a bully, something like that. Any display of kindness should have them in your camp. Gryffindors are harder, they're not happy with Potter not helping them cheat their way in too, but don't want to be seen sporting our colors in the hallways and will naturally not be keen on turning down a chance to beat us. No huge loss either way, seeing as we can win over everyone else easily enough," reported Adrian.

Cassius laughed, "You've definitely been busy, Ade. We need to look farther too. Public opinion beyond these walls has to fall our way too. We're almost out of here and what happens in this tournament affects my plans after graduation. Once I win, I'll need the momentum and public support. The last thing I need is them printing some rubbish about me cheating Saint Potter out of this win."

"So what angles are we thinking? Rightfully picked champion, making Potter out to be a narcissistic teenager who can't stand being out of the spotlight, maybe play up your 'concern' for such a young child's life? Honestly, I think for now we won't have to do much to turn things our way, just let people keep talking about how he cheated to enter. Once that runs its course, we feed the news just enough to keep them going. Some parental concern should be easy to drum up. We drop a few reminders about fatalities that have occurred in past tournaments and let the gossip mongers here do the rest. Owls from their parents will be swarming the Prophet in no time," Étiennette schemed.

"Excellent. I think our biggest issue will be with the teachers here. Dumbledore's prejudice has influenced most of them enough that they're already poisoned against a Slytherin champion. I'll need to be entirely above reproach, publicly at least, for the entire tournament. If even a whisper of me being less than twice as perfect as any other champion gets out, I'll never recover any good opinion of theirs. That means I'll need to leave anything even remotely unscrupulous to the two of you. Plausible deniability is, after all, invaluable with all this press lurking about looking for some scandal," reminded Cassius.

"Easily solved with Saint Potter around," Adrian laughed. "The boy gives us more than enough fodder to keep Skeeter, the Ministry, and Dumbledore off your back until we graduate, even the shrimp over there!"

"Don't start Adrian or Cas' plan will be a whole lot easier with all the officials trying to figure out how you fell off this tower!"

"You wound me, ma crevette! You know you love me too much for such violent displays! Besides, you wouldn't want to do something so unladylike and scare off your future husband, would you?"

Étiennette smiled, dramatically batted her lashes, and Adrian never saw the stinging hex coming.


End file.
